Comparative studies on microsporogenesis in male sterile and fertile plants of Sesame(Sesamum indicumL.)

Abstract

The present work was carried out to find the causes behind the occurrence of male sterility in the cross between Sesamum malabaricum and Sesamum indicum. The male fertile and sterile plants expressed similarity in the plant and flower morphology. The anthers collected from the flower buds of sterile, partially sterile and fertile plants were examined for their size, shape, development, pollen dehiscence and were compared. Anthers of male sterile plants were flat, smaller in size, triangular and expressed less pollen dehiscence than male fertile plants. In sterile plants, the locules of the matured anthers appeared with few sterile pollen grains with persistent tapetal layer. In contrast, anther locules of fertile plants were filled with normal pollen but without tapetal layer, hi partially sterile plants, the anther locules had sterile and normal pollen while the tapetal layer was present discontinuously